[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 25, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D836-D838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
HORSE PROTECTION ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on H.R. 503, To amend the Horse 
Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, 
delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of 
horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Sweeney and Goodlatte; and 
public witnesses.
MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on How To Build a Payment System That Provides Quality, Efficient Care 
for Medicare Beneficiaries. Testimony was heard from Donald B. Marron, 
Acting Director, CBO; A. Bruce Steinwald, Director, Health Care, GAO; 
Mark Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; 
and a public witness.
  Hearings continue July 27.
REAL ESTATE MARKET
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Changing Real Estate Market.'' 
Testimony was heard from J. Bruce McDonald, Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice; Maureen K. 
Ohlhausen, Director, Office of Policy Planning, FTC; David G. Wood, 
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
TERRORISM THREATS AND THE INSURANCE MARKET
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations and the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information 
Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment of the Committee on Homeland 
Security held a joint hearing entitled ``Terrorism Threats and the 
Insurance Market.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
RE-EMPLOYING FEDERAL RETIREES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and 
Agency Organization held a hearing entitled ``Retirees Returning to the 
Rescue: Re-employing Annuitants in Times of National Need.'' Testimony 
was heard from Nancy Kichak, Associate Director, Strategic Human 
Resources Policy Division, OPM; Patricia Bradshaw, Deputy Under 
Secretary, Civilian Personnel Policy, Department of Defense; Barbara 
Panther, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Human Resources and 
Management, Department of Veterans Affairs; Ronald Sanders, Chief Human 
Capitol Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and 
public witnesses.
DOD EXCESS PROPERTY SECURITY RISKS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing entitled 
``DOD Excess Property: Inventory Control Breakdowns Present a Security 
Risk.'' Testimony was heard from Gregory Kutz, Managing Director, 
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, GAO; and from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Alan F. Estevez, Assistant 
Deputy Under Secretary (Supply Chain Integration); MG Bennie E. 
Williams, USA, Director, Logistics Operations, Defense Logistic Agency; 
and Paul Peters, Director, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.
STOPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs held 
a hearing entitled ``Is the Federal Government Doing All It Can To Stem 
the Tide of Illegal Immigration.'' Testimony was heard from Martin H. 
Gerry, Deputy Commissioner, Social Security for Disability and Income 
Support Programs, SSA; Al Robinson, Acting Administrator, Wage and Hour 
Administration, Employment Standards Administration, Department of 
Labor; the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: 
Janis Sposato, Associate Director, National Security and Records 
Verification Directorate, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; and 
Matthew Allen, Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement; and K. Steven Burgess, Director, Examinations Small 
Business/Self Employed Division, IRS, Department of the Treasury.

[[Page D837]]


CENTRAL ASIAN ENERGY AND SECURITY ISSUES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Middle East and 
Central Asia held a hearing on Assessing Energy and Security Issues in 
Central Asia. Testimony was heard from Steven R. Mann, Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 
Department of State; Lana Ekimoff, Director, Office of Russian and 
Eurasian Affairs, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE ACT ANNIVERSARY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing entitled ``The 60th 
Anniversary of the Administrative Procedure Act: Where Do We Go From 
Here?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``The Recently Released Final Draft of the 
National Park Service Management Policies.'' Testimony was heard from 
Fran Mainella, Director, National Park Service, Department of the 
Interior.
CONFERENCE REPORT--VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE 
ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany S. 250, to amend 
the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1988 to 
improve the Act, and against its consideration. The rule provides that 
the conference report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard 
from Chairman McKeon (CA).
UNITED STATES AND INDIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION PROMOTION ACT OF 2006
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
1 hour of general debate on H.R. 5682, to exempt from certain 
requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 a proposed nuclear 
agreement for cooperation with India, equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
International Relations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on International 
Relations now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in 
part A of the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, shall 
be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the 
Whole. The rule provides that the bill, as amended, shall be considered 
as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment and shall be 
considered as read. The rule makes in order only those further 
amendments printed in part B of the Rules Committee report accompanying 
the resolution. The rule provides that the amendments printed in part B 
of the report may be offered only in the order printed in the report, 
may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, 
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand 
for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the 
Whole. The rule waives all points of order against the amendments 
printed in part B of the Rules Committee report. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
was heard from Chairman Hyde, Representatives Fortenberry, Upton, 
Lantos, Berman, Lee, Markey, Woolsey, and Jackson-Lee of Texas.
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on Scientific and Technical 
Assessment and Advice for the U.S. Congress. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Holt; and public witnesses.
IRS REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT COMPLIANCE
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on the Failure To Comply 
With the Regulatory Flexibility Act: IRS Endangering Small Businesses 
Yet Again. Testimony was heard from Donald L. Korb, Chief Counsel, IRS, 
Department of the Treasury; Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel, 
Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses.
RAIL SAFETY HUMAN FACTORS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held an oversight hearing on Human Factors Issues in Rail 
Safety. Testimony was heard from Joseph Boardman, Administrator, 
Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation; Robert 
Chipkevich, Director, Office of Rail, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Investigations, National Transportation Safety Board; and public 
witnesses.
CUSTOMS BUDGET AUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Customs Budget Authorizations and Other Customs Issues. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department

[[Page D838]]

of Homeland Security: W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection; and Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and public witnesses.